These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality

Tripoto

Brace Yourselves!

Travel is generally one of the highlights of most people’s lives – whether you get to visit a new destination once a year or once a decade, the excitement never fades.

But what happens when your expectations have a crushing encounter with reality?

THIS HAPPENS:

1. The internet makes you think that spending a day at the Taj Mahal would look something like this

STOP lying internet.

Spending a day at Taj Mahal is a pretty average experience which looks like this.

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 2/16 by Gunjan Upreti
Credits: Ronald Woan

2. The only fancy thing about Qutub Minar - Tallest brick minaret in the world. That's about it.

If you think that spending a day here would look something like this,

W-R-O-N-G.

It's looks like this. Add 50 more school Children in this picture and that's how a day at Qutub Minar looks like.

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 4/16 by Gunjan Upreti
Credits: AHLN

3. Marine Drive is where Mumbaikars come for a few moments of freedom from the ever challenging life in Mumbai.

It is that one place in Mumbai that breathes possibility. But overtime, Bollywood filmmakers have exploited this majestic arc and made us believe that sitting on the marine drive wall will inevitably feel like a beautiful daydream, something like this:

To be honest, that's not always the case and more often than not it feels like this. Aimless.

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 6/16 by Gunjan Upreti
Credits: David Ramos

3. If you think walking by the howrah bridge in Kolkata, feels like this

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 7/16 by Gunjan Upreti

Oops! sorry to burst you bubble but it's more like this.

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 8/16 by Gunjan Upreti

4. You might have witnessed mesmerising beaches, swaying palms, white sands and sparkling waters in Goa, I did too, but my recent Goa trip was not entirely devoid of eyesores.

While everyone expects Goa to be like this,

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 9/16 by Gunjan Upreti

This is the Goa you get. Urgh! *Cries in pain*

5. Visiting Gateway of India: Expectation.

Visiting Gateway of India: Reality.

(Giant-balloon sellers + photographers + vendors making bhelpuri and touts rubbing shoulders with locals and tourists )

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 12/16 by Gunjan Upreti
Credits: Koshy Koshy

6. Unless you've been blissfully unaware this whole time, you know camping in the Himalayas is not even remotely close to this,

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 13/16 by Gunjan Upreti
Credits: Pramati Anand

because this what camping in Himalayas is all about now.

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 14/16 by Gunjan Upreti
Credits: Pramati Anand

7. If you think a camel safari in Rajasthan promises you an unparalleled, all fun filled, colourful and memorable experience,

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 15/16 by Gunjan Upreti

HA-HA, think again!

Photo of These Brutally Honest Photos of India Show The Difference Between Travel Expectations & Reality 16/16 by Gunjan Upreti

Don't worry! Sometimes the better vantage point is where you least expect it, because you’re better off livin’ in the hole looking at the palace, than living at the palace looking at the hole. Which is why I've even tracked down seven lesser-known spots for seeing some of India's biggest attractions.

Check it out: 7 Secret Tourist-Free Spots To View India's Most Famous Attractions

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